To See Her Smile

Rating: K

Summary: Someone close to Peggy's past comes to the hospital to visit her while she has Alzheimer's Disease. There isn't any Jason in this one but he is mentioned.

She sat quietly in the chair beside the former Shield director's bed, watching her as the nurses gave Agent Carter her medicine before leaving. Slowly, Peggy seemed to register that there was a presence beside her and looked over, her eyes growing confused and slightly fearful. "Who are you?!"

Cynthia Glass pursed her lips together swallowing down the hurt, knowing it wasn't Agent Carter's fault she couldn't remember her. "My name is Cynthia Glass, you can call me Cindy. I'm a friend of Tony Stark."

A wave of recognition past through Peggy's eyes at the mention of Howard Stark's son Tony. "A friend of Tony's..."

Cynthia nodded softly and smiled before reaching over to put her coco colored hand over Peggy's pale white one. "He told me you always tell the best stories, so I came to hear one."

"Did he? He never seemed to like them when I told them to him as a boy."

Cynthia couldn't help but chuckle. "More like he wouldn't admit it."

This comment made Peggy smile and shift slightly to get comfortable. "What kind of story would you like to hear?"

Cynthia's eyes grew a bit sad as she looked over to the pictures on the side table beside the older woman. The pictures were white washed, of Peggy with two children both who looked just like her rather then also like her husband. There were no pictures of her husband. "Why don't you tell me a story about your daughter. What was her name?"

Peggy looked over at the pictures and pursed her lips, thinking. "Her name was...it started with a 'C'...or was it a 'K'.."

Cynthia frowned softly, "Was her name Catherine?"

Peggy looked up to Cynthia, her mouth opening slightly, knowing it wasn't right but she nodded and squeezed Cynthia's hand despite it. "Yes...that sounds right. She was a handful...I remember her performing little experiments in the kitchen with...with...by herself?" Peggy almost asked before shaking her head and continuing. "One time I remember walking into the kitchen where she had been making a volcano, but instead of just one she made three...one with a lot of backing soda, one with what her teacher told her to use, and another with just a little because she wanted to see how they would differ for herself. She was so bright..."

Cynthia could feel herself starting to choke up a bit as she listened. "Bright like her mother."

Peggy just shook her head, "No...She was bright like her father. He...He was a genius."

At the mention of her last word Cynthia felt a bit of hope. "Do you remember your husband?" She asked as she got closer to Peggy.

With a small frown Peggy looked up at Cynthia, her eyes searching through her foggy memories of her life with her family. "He was taller then me..."

With a small smile Cynthia rubbed Peggy's hand. "Most people were taller then you. Myself included."

A small flicker of a memory of Cynthia's smiling face past through Peggy's mind and she looked up at the girl who couldn't be much older then her own daughter. "Have we met, Cindy?"

Cynthia simply nodded, "A few times. Mostly in passing."

This answer seemed to satisfy Peggy and she went back to trying to remember her husband. "I...I remember he had curly hair when he let it grow out...like yours..." Peggy continued as she lifted her frail hand to stroke Cynthia's black curls.

Cynthia smiled softly and nodded. "Do you miss him?"

"Miss him?" Peggy seemed to pause, trying to remember why she should miss him. "Yes... I suppose I do."

Cynthia nodded softly but frowned deeply when she saw the nurse come in with the shot they always gave Peggy around lunch.

"Miss Carter, it's time for your shot."

Cynthia frowned deeply as Peggy nodded eagerly. Peggy had been told these shots might help improve her memory, but Cynthia knew these shots were doing the opposite as Peggy continued to forget more and more about her life aside from Captain America, a little before, and a bit of making Shield with Howard. Everything else may as well be as good as gone.

"I'll come back to visit soon," Cynthia finished quietly before standing to press a soft kiss to Peggy's forehead, squeezing her hand.

Peggy nodded softly, but Cynthia could already see the confusion starting to cloud her eyes as she tried to remember who Cynthia was as the shot took effect.

With a small frown Cynthia look one more look at the former Shield director, but her soft coffee brown eyes seeing so much more then just Agent Margaret Carter.

Slowly, Cynthia left the hospital back towards her apartment where she knew her science lab was set up, she was determined to find a cure for Peggy's Alzheimers, if only just to see her mother smile at her one more time like she used to.

A/N: Cynthia's name is a nod to the character Cynthia Glass from the Captain America comics who Cinematic Peggy was also based on along with the classic Peggy Carter.